Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-09-29
FARCHED FIELDS III INDIANA.
d sperRts Condition of Affairs in the
souihern Part OF the Eoonier State.

Desperate Condition of Affairs in the
snuihern Part OF the Hoonter State.
INDIANAPOLIs, IND, Sept. 23.-The
Safe fair, which opened on Tuesday, has
brought together lsrge number Of farm
ers end stockmen VINO are members of
agricultural societies and stock breeding
associations in the different sections OF
the state and the Herald correspondent
has made diligent inquiry among this rep
reseDtative and well-!ntOrmed class with
reference 10 the protIaCted drought,
which still prevails in the southern sec
ton to an alarming extent, and its effect
upon the growing crops. O! g score or
more OF whom inquiry was made not one
failed to characterize 1t as the most terri
bic and far-reaChing drought that
has ever been experienced in the
state, and the exhibits Of stock and
vegetables at the fair bear ample testimo-
ny &c the truth Of the statements. An
intelligent farmer OF Gibson county, VINO
has cattle, sheep and vegetables on eXhi-
bition, said: "In any ordinary year l
would not have brought such an exhibit
| OF vegetables to the state fair, but l knew
the drouth WAS general, aud the people
would not exhibit much anyhow. | DO
not believe Our county will average FIVE
/ bushels OF corn TO the acre, though sixty
bushels is an average crop. In many sec
! tons Of the county the people are hauling
! their stock water or driving five OR elk
les, and when they get It, the wster is
not fl for the stock TO drinE. My stock
has improved 100 per cent. since 1 came
here Sunday evening, and l attribute it
all TO the water"
Sam Kercheval, S member Of the last
| House CT Representatives from Spencer
county, who has Just made e business trip
through Pike, Warrick, Dubois, Perry,
Harrison, Gibson, Vanderburgh, Posey,
Daviess, Martin and KuOX counties, end
who cOnversed with many business men
regarding the outlook, ssid; "The section
through which | passed Just before COM
ing here lies within the corn belt, and
upon this cereal and the tobacco crop the
people depend entirely for their surplus
money. The corn in q good season will
average from sixty TO eighty bushels PEI
acre, but this year it Will not reach five
bushels per GCTe. The best farmers in
the section informed me that that they
would nave to buy corn For their
stock, thing never before thought
OF. In my comfy the people arc
hauling weter from the Ono river
eight or ten miles distant, and many
of them are depending entirely upor
Jnis water for all purposes except drink
ing. TIE wells are nearly all dry. ant
those who still have d good supply ere
as careful OF it as if it was so much gold
Taking the entire section as whole,
think the corn crop will not be more thar
) per cent. of q full crop; the tobacco
il, w. rod - ant
4. second or seed crop OF clover about Ct
l per cent, end the potato crop 81 lesst 81
> per cent The land is so hard and Or
q that the farmers cannot plow for wheat
{ snd it will require at least weeks rail
TO put it in proper condition. The terri
bic effects OF the drouth are plainly seel
upon the stock. The wster is stagnan
aud unhealthy, and all kind Of stock i
suffering in consequence. The horse
and cattle look as if they had passe'
through hard winter unprotected an
e but half fed, and this is true OF all stoc
q in the counties mentioned"
Others state that sickness is following
80 the protrscted drouth, the most commo
> disease being typhoid fever Of en- unusu
= silly malignant type, and attributable I
II impure drinking water and the presenc
Is of so many stagnsnt pools in the creek
n and rivers. In some places the diseas
has taken an epidemic form, and Who'll
o families are Frustrated and many death
o have occurred In the central end nortt
l. ern sections of the state the effects Of tn
1t drouth are not SO marked, but even
il these there has not been general c
J. protracted rain for several months
lie though the local rains have been NOR
lie frequent The injury to the crops in th
lie state, including oil sections, is thus est
ut mated by the State Board OF Agriculture
Is Corn, 60 per cent tobacco, IS per cent
ly timothy hay, SO per cent; clover ha
IS (seed clop), 60 per cent; winter apple'
II so per cent.
,e The stock qhdies' hose carried by =,
lie is the largest epd best selected stock ev
If brought to the city, ard at prices tn
NJ cannot fail 70 please 's